Harvest of Holidays Read Online Free Page B

emerge when he was hunting, for he had been a hunter in England in the last century, when he had worked with other hunters to bring down this same Stonebrood clan. As much as this was Tally’s project, to avenge her father’s death in some small way, it was just as much Nick’s. They had been working together for the last six years to bring the clan down once more.
    Donna waved them onward and stepped into the trees and they all followed. Damian fell back to keep pace with Tally, moving just ahead of her. She wondered if he had sensed her physical stress.
    Inside the trees it was darker and warmer, for the air was still and thick with scents and sounds of the night. Even at this time of year, there were still crickets and the rustle of birds and small creatures in the undergrowth. The thick, sharp scent of pine wafted over them as they pushed through the firs. All of them moved almost silently. It was part of their training. But Tally kept tripping over her own feet. She gritted her jaw and slowed even more, picking her footing with more care. Damian fell back with her and this time, moved around behind her. “I can catch you if you fall, from back here,” he said softly enough that no one else except perhaps for Nick would hear him.
    Tally sighed. She hadn’t hidden her weakness from Nick and Damian. She only hoped Carson didn’t notice. It would distract him.
    For the first time she questioned the wisdom of coming along tonight. Yes, it was her project, to rid the world of the Stonebrood clan once more. But her stubbornness could bring more than herself into danger. Damian wasn’t going to be an effective member of the team because he had promised to watch out for her. Nick had probably heard she was slowing down and part of his attention would be pulled away from the quarry they were hunting as a result. Carson…well, he would worry anyway. Would the others waiting for them somewhere ahead also be distracted by her presence? It wasn’t something she had considered until now and now it was too late. If there was a gargoyle ahead, the thing would have picked up their scent.
    Donna was slowing down, her silhouette shifting as she turned her head, looking for the others.
    Nick tapped her shoulder and pointed. She nodded and headed where he had directed. It was at a sharp tangent to the direction they had been taking.
    Carson slipped away, heading in the opposite direction from Donna.
    Without a word, Nick moved directly ahead.
    Damian caught Tally’s elbow. “We’ll stay here.” His voice was very low.
    “Yes,” Tally agreed. It was a stadium seat, while the action was taking place ahead of them, but now she didn’t mind at all.
    Because everyone was so good at moving quietly even among the trees, the silence gathered around the pair of them. High overhead, Tally could hear wind moving the treetops. It was a lonely whistling sound. Even further away, a dull murmur spoke of traffic. That would be the highway. There were no other sounds at all. Not even the scrabble of tiny creatures in the undergrowth. Everything knew there was a predator nearby and was curled up and hiding, waiting for the danger to pass.
    “I’m sorry I’m holding you back,” Tally said.
    Damian shrugged. “I’ve done this once already. I don’t mind skipping the re-run.”
    “Was it very bad? In England?”
    He didn’t answer straight away. “It was different, then. The Stonebrood clan was the very last. It was a mission for Nick, to rid the world of a creature that had no moral compass, no compassion and no natural enemies. They’re unnatural, anyway. The result of a curse gone wrong.” He shrugged. “At the end, when they knew they were doomed, they killed anyone they could reach, just because...”
    “Because they were angry,” Tally concluded. She had heard the story about the final day when Lirgon, the leader of the clan, had finally been cornered and killed. It had been a brutal and bloody day. Many of the hunters who had